I’ve concluded the yet another week of practicing gratitude every day this month for National Gratitude Month.

Here’s what I was thankful for:

Day 15: In light of all that we’ve been through this year, I’m grateful that I’m still able to find joy where I can. For example, normally I’m one of those people who believes we absolutely should wait until one holiday passes before we celebrate the next. Thanksgiving first and then Christmas. But this year, we’ve thrown it all to the wind and it’s so much fun to do what we want! I decorated for Halloween at the end of August and we put up our Christmas tree on Sunday. While we haven’t fully decorated our tree yet, it does have lights and those lights make me extremely happy, filling me with cheer and hope even as the days get shorter and the nights get colder and the coronavirus cases spike again. We may just leave this tree up for all of 2021.

Day 16:  I’m thankful that sometimes things aren’t always as bad as they may initially seem. When you suffer from anxiety, there’s a tendency to always overthink and misread. Luckily, things often work out just fine despite our worst fears, and I’m very grateful for that. Last month I made a very tough–and honestly, stupid–decision to leave my current job at the end of the month to pursue something I’m more passionate about. I’ve been miserable at work for a while now (what else is new?) and it has been affecting my physical and mental health. I don’t have anything concrete lined up yet but a few things are in the works so I have hope and am thankful that I’m able to take this huge leap right now at a time when everything is so uncertain.

Day 17: I’m grateful for tummy tickles and blissful laughter at bedtime. Parenting is hard. Being a 3.5 year old with big feelings and little control over them is hard. So when we get a chance to just play and laugh, we take it even if delays bedtime. Tonight, after reading our bedtime stories, I laid in Sebastian’s bed with him and tickled him while he laughed and just enjoyed the time I get to spend with him. He’s growing up so fast so I’m incredibly thankful for these little moments.

Y’all. Trying to do it all isn’t easy. I’m sure you all know exactly what I’m talking about so instead of preaching to the choir, please just commiserate with me, friends. I have the desire to do so many things each day but not enough of the energy required to do them.

My new job is going really well. I’m settling in, I’ve moved into my own office, and I’m quickly picking up all of my responsibilities. But the transition at home for my family is slow going. Sebastian is having a little trouble adjusting to daycare, which is totally normal. His fever ended up being hand, foot, mouth disease (a viral infection like a cold that is really common for kids his age) but luckily he recovered quickly, but we had to work from home for a few days. Nick and I are having trouble adjusting to the new routine, which is only exacerbated by Sebastian’s a rough time adjusting to daycare because he wakes us up a bunch at night seeking comfort and reassurance that we’re still there. Because we’re not getting a full night’s sleep, we’re waking up much later than we should, so mornings are hectic. I’m drinking copious amounts of coffee. Work time is for work, obviously. Then we come home, cook dinner, bathe Sebastian and put him to bed. Then I have about 2 hours to live my life before I pass out from exhaustion. Sound familiar? I thought so.

This is Mia and Chico. They’re our furbabies and the apples of our eyes. I obsess over taking pictures of them like parents obsess over taking pictures of their newborn babies. I get lots of videos of them, too, because they’re super funny and entertaining, but we’ll save those for another time. In all honesty, I haven’t gotten any good photos of my outfits lately so I thought I would leave you with these adorable little creatures.

Chico is my oldest at 8 years, but he’s my baby because I got him when he was 6 weeks old. He is my whole world. He isn’t usually very photogenetic but every now and then I can get some pretty good ones. I believe this one was taken while I was still in school and I was home after a long week of classes. He missed me.

Mia is my youngest baby at 4, and she’s a big goofball! Nick took this of her one morning while he was getting ready for work. She really sleeps like this or in some other contorted way that doesn’t look like it could be at all comfortable but she doesn’t seem to mind it.

Chico is pretty much the king of the castle and has claimed the corner of the couch as his thrown.

But he’s a big cuddlebug, which is one of my most favorite things about him.

Ahh, the kitchen/dining room, Mia’s favorite rooms in the house.

The little prince sleeping in his thrown/corner.

We set up an extra bed in the office while my family was in town and Mia thought it was put up for her. The bed is still up and if we can’t find her anywhere else, we know to check in the office. Since she’s usually in there, we’ve started calling it “Mia’s room.”

Sometimes they sleep together (Mia is in that silly position again, see!) and it’s the cutest thing I’ve ever seen. I love it.

My furbabies!